“Damn. Fair. Well. If you see them again before they leave, I’d appreciate it if you let them know I’m. I’m glad they’re alright. And maybe they shouldn’t be a stranger, got some other words for them too.”

Maria nodded, and went to take all the shrines back, save the one on ship and the one in her backpack. Then she went to go sit down and wait for Max.

"Mm.. Yeah." She shrugged. Looked away, then back. Still hesitating even though she came here to talk about it.

"So...I don't know that it'll ever be relevant. And maybe these are things you already knew. I mean, they're not exactly complicated techniques," she dithered.

"So. Uh. Prince Magic. The...mind controlly ones, anyway... Um. Aside from a, um...pre-emptive...removal of free will...it can also be resisted by, um. 'Willpower,'" she made little airquotes at that. It was evident that even she didn't find that a particularly helpful piece of information.

"But...failing that... That mind control can be broken entirely by, um. A temporary death. Of the person affected."

Well, that was a lot of pains in the ass gone pleasantly. Casey mentally raised a finger to those hot messes.

In the meantime...Well, he just took a little sit down and poured himself a drink. It was nice that whiskey was quite salt free. He pulled a chair up to the window and stared out idly. Taking casual sips.

“One day you wake up and realize the world can be conquered.” - Doctor Impossible

"I'm sorry, Emily. You're absolutely right. You're not like her at all. I just thought..."

He stopped and sat down.

"I don't know. How do you feel about this? I don't know what's going on inside your mind. I don't know what's even happening anymore. I feel unmoored from reality - is it really over? That suddenly? Everything's happening so quickly, and I have no idea of what to do with my life after this. How can I possibly even begin to atone for almost ending the world? I just..."

Simon sees Max breaking down. He walks over, leaving Cobra King to come up with his pitch for needing/deserving robot snakes, and gives Emily a nod as he comes up to them before turning to Max.

"Hey. For what it's worth, we've all made mistakes. The best we can do is pick ourselves back up and move forward. You also helped fix it, that's worth something. If either of you need any help, even if it's just help keeping hidden and far away from it all, don't hesitate to ask."

Casey took another drink sip, got up, and tottled over to Simon, now that things were fairly quiet. "Good job talking to Max." He said simply, slightly slurring, but giving him a respectfully nod. "You were at the last big event too, right?"

“One day you wake up and realize the world can be conquered.” - Doctor Impossible

"Hey, last time I got stepped on man, it happens. Good on you for helping out anyway." He took another glug. "Seems it was mostly her that saved the day, ish. Technically the other three made it a clean win." Casey said, referring dismissively to the saviors of Pete. "Hey Siren. Congragulations on flooding a state and saving the world!" He yelled over, raising his glass.

“One day you wake up and realize the world can be conquered.” - Doctor Impossible

"Oh and hey, feel free to get in touch when you're on the straight and narrow again. Like I told Max, I've made mistakes as well, and while they're not as bad as either of yours I'm willing to believe they can be made up for."

With that, Simon waits to leave (or be bothered by one of the few remaining heroes).

Casey was suitably sloshed enough to go to jail now, so he stumbled to a pod. And stopped. He hadn't actually gone to the bathroom since the whole siege to robo base thing, so he'd do that first.

Natural events took it's course, and one trashed toilet later, Casey tottered out and over to the pilot. Except, first he went back in and scrawled "Eeeehh, totes Sorry. Big D-D!" with some handwash on the mirror.

Then, to the pilot!

He shoved open the door. "I'm ready to go back to jail now." He exclaimed, pointed towards the horizon. "Onwards my good-" *Squint* "-Sir or Madam! To anti-freedom!"

“One day you wake up and realize the world can be conquered.” - Doctor Impossible